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Edinburgh Airport Noise Advisory Board
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Welcome to the Spring 2026 EANAB Newsletter!
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We share these updates to keep you in the loop on our community engagement efforts, how we're addressing aircraft noise concerns, and the latest news from EANAB and Edinburgh Airport. You can always find more detailed information on our EANAB website. Feel free to forward this to anyone who might be interested, they can easily Subscribe on our website.
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✈️ Airspace Change Proposal: Post Consultation Updates & Next Steps
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Following the conclusion of the Airspace Change Proposal (ACP) public consultation phase, Edinburgh Airport is currently undertaking a review of the feedback provided by stakeholders, Community Councils, and local residents.
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The ACP team is currently sifting through 1,877 individual consultation responses.
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To process these efficiently, they are organising the submissions into specific 'buckets' based on the issues raised, such as noise, environment, wildlife, tranquility, transparency, and process. This allows similar concerns to be addressed. During this sorting process, the team is also separating core ACP matters (like minimising populations overflown) from unrelated issues raised at the drop-in sessions, such as night noise, which falls outside the scope of this specific process.
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EAL is coordinating with the Civil Aviation Authority, ACOG, NERL, and Glasgow Airport regarding the structure of the final consultation report and discussions are ongoing to determine whether the CAA will require a single joint document for the whole Scottish Cluster, or separate response documents for each airport.
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The EAL's formal feedback summary report is expected to be finalised by the end of April 2026, with public release likely following in May. EANAB will provide an independent review of this when it is available.
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In the meantime, all ACP responses are available to view online via the Citizens Space webpage.
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✈️ Looking Ahead: Stage 4 Implementation Planning
As the project moves out of Stage 3, the focus is shifting toward Stage 4 implementation planning. The immediate priority is proving that the Edinburgh designs are technically viable and safe. This requires:
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- Simulator Testing: Collaborating with airlines to fly the proposed instrument flight procedures in simulators, and analysing Edinburgh's go-around procedures for flights under 7,000 feet.
- Safety Assessments: Conducting rigorous system-wide safety checks.
- Navigating Resource Constraints: A major limitation currently impacting Stage 4 is the scarcity of Air Traffic Control resources, which are essential for completing the required analysis.
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To ensure transparency, the suite of ACP materials remains available to view on the EANAB ACP webpage.
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CAA Documentation
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Scottish Airspace Modernisation
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The Scottish Airspace Modernisation program is a coordinated effort by Edinburgh Airport, Glasgow Airport, and NATS to upgrade Scottish airspace. As part of a UK-wide government strategy, this project will introduce modern Performance Based Navigation (PBN) to create highly efficient flight paths. For Edinburgh specifically, the redesign focuses on routes below 7,000 feet, aiming to maximise flights over the Firth of Forth to keep aircraft away from residential communities. This modernisation promises significant environmental and operational benefits, including a reduction of CO2 emissions, fewer flight delays, and improved climb and descent profiles, alongside better routing, to help reduce the overall noise impact on surrounding communities.
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Edinburgh Airport Community Fund
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Edinburgh Airport operates a Community Fund designed to support local groups, charities, Community Councils and Community Development Trusts. The third round of the Community Fund has just been awarded, it again saw significant community engagement, with more than £81k awarded to a diverse range of local projects.
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- £81,330 awarded across 33 successful projects
- 111 total applications with 75 eligible
Projects include: 1st Falkirk Scouts – £6750 for installation of solar PV system and Newtongrange Community Garden – £3739 for expansion of the bee-hive area.
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Visit the Edinburgh Airport Community Fund webpage for further details on the criteria for Round 4 which is now open for the award meeting on 24th April 2026.
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We encourage eligible communities affected by airport operations to take full advantage of this financial support. The fund is designed to back projects that focus on:
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- Creating or upgrading local green spaces and community gardens
- Promoting local sports, mental health initiatives, and community inclusion
- Supporting local youth programs and schools.
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The Community Fund Report for 2024 is available to view, and provides an overview of the projects supported in previous years. It's a great resource to learn more about the Community Fund's impact and the types of initiatives that have been funded.
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🩺 Understanding the Health Impacts of Aviation Noise
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Aircraft noise is more than just a nuisance, it is a genuine health concern for many residents living beneath flight paths. EANAB’s Health Impact subgroup monitors the latest independent research and guidance from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regarding these impacts.
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CAA Health Impacts Report
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The CAA publishes Aircraft Noise and Health Effects reports every six months. Their October 2025 CAP3165 Report and the EANAB Notes are available to view.
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Check back on the EANAB Health Impact webpage for their next report due in March 2026 and to view the previous reports.
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Health Impacts of the Proposed Airspace Change
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Did you know that environmental noise is recognised by the World Health Organisation as a top risk to public health? Previously quiet communities in West Lothian could face a new, concentrated flight corridor with increased numbers of low-altitude flights. This REPORT explores the public health risks associated with this sudden increase in aviation noise. While the Airport's averaged noise measurements often mask the true lived experience, clear evidence links frequent, unpredictable flight noise to sleep disruption, increased cardiovascular disease, chronic stress, and impaired learning in children. Read the full report to understand how these proposed changes could impact your community's physical and mental wellbeing.
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🌙 Managing Night Noise
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We know that night time aircraft noise is a significant concern for many residents living close to Edinburgh Airport, with real impacts on sleep and quality of life. To address this, EANAB has launched a project to analyse how we can better manage and mitigate night flight disturbances. Led by the Aviation Analysis subgroup, this project will assess current flight data, review successful noise reduction strategies used at other UK airports, and evaluate current government regulations. Our ultimate goal is to produce a balanced, evidence based report of practical options that harmonises community well-being with aviation realities, which will directly inform EANAB’s future recommendations.
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As part of this ongoing work, the Aviation Analysis subgroup has also published an Article on how other British and European airports currently manage night time aircraft noise. Because aviation noise feels much more disruptive at night against lower background sound levels, airports typically rely on a mix of five key strategies: partial or full runway closures, financial surcharges, flight movement limits, bans on the noisiest aircraft types, and overall noise quotas. The effectiveness of these measures varies greatly depending on government regulation and airport ownership, highlighting the need for policies that balance commercial interests with residents' right to undisturbed sleep.
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👥 Community Engagement
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Our Communities & External Engagement (C&EE) subgroup actively connects with organisations located under the flight path, including Care Homes, nurseries, schools, and golf clubs. If you're interested in scheduling a visit to chat about EANAB and the Airport, please get in touch.
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Edinburgh Airport maintains a dedicated Community Space on their corporate website, offering information on their engagement efforts, charity partnerships, the Noise Lab, and more.
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The Airport's Sustainability Manager, Aaron McKeen, is available to attend Community Council meetings and focuses on those communities that are most affected by aircraft noise. Get in touch if you would like us to facilitate a visit to your Community Council.
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🛫 Edinburgh Airport News
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As Edinburgh Airport prepares to welcome a season of new spring and summer routes, including European connections with EasyJet and Jet2, and expanded transatlantic flights with American Airlines, the airport is also preparing for a major leadership transition. Chief Executive Gordon Dewar has announced he will step down toward the end of 2026, concluding a 14-year tenure that oversaw massive growth at the airport. His CEO Q4 2025 is now available to view.
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Additionally, Edinburgh Airport will be publishing its own Community Newsletter in the coming weeks. This edition will feature a detailed analysis of the 2025 Community Fund, alongside updates on EAL’s ongoing sustainability and community initiatives.
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Sign up to get it sent to your inbox, and view previous issues on their Community Engagement webpage.
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📢 Noise Complaints and Monitoring
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Edinburgh Airport publishes a Noise Complaints report every quarter.
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The Q3 2025 Report is available to view. All previous quarterly reports, along with EANAB's comments on them, can be found on the EANAB Noise Complaints webpage
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The EAL Casper Noise and Track System allows members of the public to check aircraft noise levels and flight specific information such as flight position and altitude using radar data. It is a state of the art monitoring system that is specifically designed as an intuitive system for noise and aircraft track analysis.
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Noise monitors are strategically placed around the airport in Livingston, Broxburn and Cramond to gather essential data for analysis. One has recently been installed at Cramond Primary School and another is in progress at Craigiehall. See them online in Operation and Watch the video featuring June McClung, EAL Environmental Noise Manager, to get a better understanding of how they work.
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🪟 Noise Insulation Scheme
The Edinburgh Airport Noise Insulation Scheme offers financial support to help soundproof your home. If your property falls within the 60dB LAeq Daytime or 57dB Nighttime noise contours, you could be eligible for a 50% contribution towards the cost of new double glazing or loft insulation. Use the online postcode lookup tool to Check if your home qualifies.
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ACOG Airspace Masterplan Update
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The UK Airspace Masterplan is a national strategy to upgrade our aviation infrastructure from outdated ground-based beacons to modern, satellite-based GPS. While this aims to reduce flight delays and emissions, it brings changes closer to home. The upcoming restructuring of the Scotland Terminal Control Area (TCA) will redefine Edinburgh Airport's arrival and departure paths. Because this changes where aircraft fly, it will permanently alter the local noise footprint for surrounding communities.
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To manage this complex national rollout, ACOG previously outlined the strategic scope in Masterplan Iteration 2. Now, they have progressed to Iteration 3 being developed separately for each region, with Masterplan Iteration 3 for the Scottish Cluster, which groups Edinburgh Airport into a coordinated regional schedule to prevent overlapping flight path conflicts. For local residents, Iteration 3 is a milestone as it acts as the master schedule dictating exactly when Edinburgh Airport must present its newly designed, specific local flight paths for Public Engagement. This directly translates into a permanent alteration of the aircraft noise footprint, and history confirms that even minor route adjustments can cause significant shifts in noise exposure for affected communities.
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📝 Noise Action Plan
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Following a public consultation that concluded in January 2025, the latest Noise Action Plan has been officially finalised and adopted by the Scottish Government. Shaped by community feedback, this five-year plan outlines Edinburgh Airport’s strategy for managing and, where feasible, reducing the impact of aviation noise on those living under flight paths. It will remain in place until 2028, serving as a framework for monitoring the airport's commitments to our communities.
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Under the Environmental Assessment Act, these plans must be updated every five years, and this latest NAP runs alongside a broader Scottish Government initiative to develop comprehensive noise modelling and mapping across the country. You can download the
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EANAB website and resources
Since 2017, EANAB has worked to provide an accessible platform for communities impacted by airport noise. After a re-branding effort, our website offers a user-friendly interface and improved navigation, making it simpler to find essential information. The structure allows you to quickly locate:
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We hope you like the website and find it a valuable resource. We welcome your feedback and suggestions to make it even better.
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EANAB Focused Groups and Information
Following the EANAB Review in 2022, our subgroups underwent a strategic overhaul. We established focused subgroups with dedicated expertise, designed to address key areas within our remit more effectively. These currently include:
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An EANAB Induction Handbook has been produced by the Education and Training subgroup, it offers valuable information about EANAB useful to all, not just members.
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EANAB's Strategic Aims Document has been updated for 2026-2028 and provides an overview of the work and objectives of each of our subgroups.
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Your experiences and observations are vital to our work. If you have concerns about aircraft noise or wish to learn more about our ongoing projects, please contact us at [email protected], on our website or reach out to your local Community Council representative on the Board.
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EANAB meetings normally take place on the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 PM as a hybrid meeting, with the physical meeting taking place at the Novotel Edinburgh Park and the online meeting taking place via Google Meet. Meetings are open to the public.
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